Manufacture of fibrous materials.



UNITE STATES;

mnonn 1. woon, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon or ONE-THIRD -'roJOHN W.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILSON, 01* PHILADELPIEHA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF FIBROU' S MATERIALS. I

No Drawing.

p ifi ati n f. Letters Patent. Patented Aug-24:, 1909. Applicationfiled; December 5, 4903. Serial No. 466,068.

To all whom it my concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME-I. WOOD, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theManufacture of Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description. 1

This invention relates to the treatment of fibrous material-such, forexample, as. pa-

per-for the manufacture of a hard and tough substance commonly known asvuloainzed fiber.

The object of the invention is to provide a novel process ofmanufacturing vulcanized fiber whereby .a superior product is obtained,and further, whereby the product will have parchment-likecharacteristics and-water-resisting tendencies, as will be hereinafterfully described and claimed.

In carrying out my invention, the fibrous. materialsuch, for example, asa sheet or sheets of paper-is first passed through or subjected to abath of chlorid of zinc and oil, such for example as linseed oil, thebath being preferably about nine-tenths chlorid of zinc and one-tenthoil, although thisproportion may be carried within limits. Thestrength-of the chlorid of zinc of the bath is preferably from 68 to 71Baum. After the sheet or sheets of paper have beensub- 7 jeoted to thebath, they areremoved therefrom and }placed one upon the other until amass of t e desired thickness is produced.

This isc'ommonly done by drawing a strip of j paper from a rollerthrough the bath and then rolling it upon another roller and upon itselfuntil t he required thickness is produced. This being done, thesuperimposed layers of pa er are cut parallel to the axis of the roll anthemass thus out is flattened upon a table or any suitable'sup ort.During the assage of the paper t rough the bath it a sorbs and is actedupon by the mixture of chlorid of zinc and oil, and the action of thechlorid of zinc upon the aper pro+ duces heat and has a solvent andis1ntegrat ing action u on the fiber of the paper. Muchof the cliloridof zinc and oil remains in the paper after it has been removed from thebath, and the solvent or disintegrating action upon the fiber of thepaper continues after the 1paper has been removed from the bath,

" unt ture reducing the strength of the chlorid of zinc. .Thus thefibers of the mass or super mingle and unite wit each other. This sol-.vent action of chlorid of zinc upon fibrous material causing it tocommingle and unite is common and well known. The fiat mass formed ofthe superimposed la ers of paper is now placed within an inclosed heatedchamber, and is uniformly heated, the degree of heat of the chamberbeing sufiicient thereby increasing the strength of the chlorid ofzinccontained within the mass and causingl it to set up a reaction orretreatment u on t e fibers thereof. This reaction of the c orid of zincis permitted to take place until the mass has been acted upon or thefiber dissolved to the required consistency. The mass is thenremovedfromthe inclosed chamber and is permitted to cool and again absorb moisturefrom the atmos here, which again interrupts the action of t 'echlorid ofzinc therein. The mass is then placed within and subjected to a bath ofwater, until the chlorid of zinc is thoroughly washed or removedtherefrom. The mass is then removed from the bath of water and permittedto dry, and during the drying operation the mass contracts or shrinksinto a sheet of strong and tough substance.

The oil'introduced to the mass with the chlorid of zinc remains thereinduring the various ste s of the process and it also remains in thefinished product. The oil is -acted upon by the chlorid of zinc and thecause it to assume a varnish like condition and thoroughly impregnatethe mass, causing a more intimate association of the particles of fiberand giving to the finished prod.- uct greater strength and flexibilityand wateror moisture-resisting characteristics.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The herein described process of treating fibrousmaterial which consists in subjecting a mass of fibrous material to abath of chlorid of zinc and oil, permitting the said bath, and thenremoving the chlorid of zinc from the mass by subjecting the material toa bath of Water.

2. The herein described process of treating v imposed layers of pa erare caused to comto drive oil the moisture from the mass,

. heat of the inclosed chamber in a manner to i mass to cool and setafter removing it from fibrous material which consists in subjecting amass of fibrous material to a bath of chlorid of zinc and oil,permitting the mass to cool and set and absorb moisture from theatmosphere after it has been acted upon by said bath, driving off themoisture from the mass by heating it'in an inclosed chamber after it hasset, and then removing the chlorid of zinc from the mass by subjectingthe material to a bath ofwater.

3. The herein described process of treating fibrous material whichconsists in subjecting a mass of fibrous material to a bath of chloridof zinc, permitting the mass to cool and set and absorb moisture fromthe atmosphere 15 after it has been acted upon by said bath, driving offthe moisture from the mass by heating it in an inclosed chamber after ithas set, and then removing the chlorid of zinc from the mass bysubjecting the material to a bath of Water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JEROME I. WOOD.

Witnesses A. V. GROUPE, WM. H. SMITH.

